Of Earth and Air
by minabelle
Summary: *Chapter 12 now up!* Please note the rating has changed from T to M. Tentative touches and gentle caresses soon turned into something more mature, dare we say, more sinister? Trunks couldn't believe this was happening again... T/P
1. Chapter 1

**So I decided to start another story… even though I haven't finished COA. I promise (pinky promise, even) that I **_**will**_** finish that story. I'll just try doing two things at once.**

**Before I start – this is an AU story. Goku is still alive as the battle with Omega Shenron and such forth did not happen. The Black Star Dragonball Hunt did however, but after that nothing is as was dictated in the series. It will just make everything fit a little better with this idea.**

**Also only going to say this once in this story: **_**I do not own Dragonball**_**.**

**Please review after reading this story, I'm trying to do something a little different and your ideas and criticisms would be much appreciated – as with COA, just writing on a whim, so don't have a plan as such – so your ideas could come to fruition.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It was a midsummer night when everything changed. A midnight blue blanket carpeted the sky as if it were spun silk. The night, albeit dark, was gloriously warm. The Gods had flung handfuls of glitter upon their blank canvass, creating a mesmerising work of art. The perfect setting for intricate, inverted thought...

The world was asleep, save the sounds of bats flying swiftly yet elegantly through the air, the occasional chirp of the crickets coming out to play and the soft, running water of the stream not too far away.

Water was a captivating element. People used to say that Son Goku was the very embodiment of the water spirits. His heart was pure and transparent. There was not an ounce of hatred in the man – he was like an open book at times, allowing you to view the innermost depths of his soul, to pinpoint his emotions with a simple glance. His aura tended to reveal all.

With this purity came a degree of serenity. As one could appreciate the smoothness of the water running through their fingers, Son Goku had this same appreciation of the wider world. From gazing listlessly at the clouds, valued their fluid patterns and designs, to the humblest onion root, each natural object had its own living, breathing, _unique_ beauty.

Conversely, regardless of the serene, untainted characteristics that water held, it could be the very opposite of the façade it normally portrayed. It could be vicious, fierce and merciless in its power, destroying whatever obstacle was in its path. It holds an immense strength, used when necessary.

Water is described as the virtuous element that could tame any other wild beast. Its opposite – fire - happened to be what was most apt for describing his lifelong friend, Bulma Briefs.

Fire was feral, fierce in its emotions. It was hit-or-miss with regards to its thoughts and feelings. Bulma Briefs was the epitome of this element. Loud, brash and often harsh, she was the centre of attention in many a situation.

Like fire, she could take hold in an instant, wiping out everything in her path. A smouldering ember, ebbing away in a dark corner could rapidly spring to life, the brilliance of its multiplex of reds, oranges and yellows taking hold, injecting vibrancy into circumstances otherwise greyed by little sentiment.

She was a born leader – her dynamic nature could sweep you up and in no time at all you'd be following her as the children of Hamelin followed the Pied Piper. However, this forceful, confident nature could also be her downfall. Fire could be destructive in nature once it got out of hand, as Bulma's 'leadership skills' could if she did not provoke the action or reaction she so desired.

This flare of anger when her cogent skills would not prove as fruitful she had previously hoped meant that she could come across as selfish or ignorant, just as fire knows no bounds in its destructive nature – it would swallow everything in its path.

Traditionally, if a fire element is to combine with an earth element, the results could be potentially creative and powerful. If too strong a connection is to attempt to form, the results could be catastrophic, a clash of personalities so great, metaphorical sparks could fly.

Therefore, it was only fitting that Vegeta-no-Ouji, the Crown Prince of the Saiya-jin race possessed the characteristic of the Earth element.

The Earth is a rigid, unmoving mass. It is constant, striving for one thing and one thing only; self-preservation. Everyday is a new challenge; the constant stress for something bigger and better was always at the forefront of each new day's objective. This selfish concentration into one's own goals was to be the downfall of the Saiya-jin Prince's first real relationship.

The tumultuous relationship founded with his fiery heiress turned into something ugly. The refusal of either party to moderate and to compromise resulted in something that didn't sound too dissimilar to a hammer smacking a nail into a coffin.

The Earth element's refusal to give up on its ultimate goal of survival spread freely into Vegeta's character. His ambitions of becoming the strongest in the universe and reclaiming his title as the head of the Saiya-jin Empire was too great, even though the once great Empire was now nothing more than a chapter in History's great book.

Both Fire and Earth are too governed by their own interests if they do not moderate their personality accordingly. The turbulent storm created by their unison is a force to be reckoned with. Not even the placid, mediatory advice given by Water was enough to prevent this unity from shattering like a mirror dropped from a great height.

To escape, the Crown Prince decided to pursue his lost kingdom, to regain _'what was his birthright'_. He left his home of many years, his children, his (dare I say) friends.

The stubborn nature of Earth seeped into the warrior's character, leaving him nothing other than the vast expanse of space and his empty dreams.

* * *

The years had slipped by since the unison of Vegeta and Bulma had died a quiet death. Earth had maintained its peace, and life for the hybrid Briefs and Son families continued as if their heritage had been forgotten.

Bulma had moved on from Vegeta, acting as though that chapter in her life had not existed, choosing to wipe the man from her memory.

Her two children, Trunks and Bra, had carried on their mother's legacy by working tirelessly for Capsule Corporation. The family were still at the forefront of all modern technologies, now branching out into medicine and intergalactic travel.

The Briefs family still maintained a close relationship with the Sons. After all, Goku was her lifelong friend and she had grown to love his growing family as if it were her own. She had watched Gohan grow from an inexplicably feminine four-year old into the handsome man he was today, married and with a daughter, Pan.

Bulma had concerns for Pan. She seemed detached from her family at most times. When she was younger, she had been a boisterous young thing, sparring and verbally abusive along with Trunks and Goten. She had been 'one of the boys'. However, since Vegeta had disappeared to 'find himself' as she called it, Pan had seemed distant, distracted; Vegeta had been her sensei, teaching her the basics of martial arts, that she was aware of. Bulma hadn't condoned the training of her children, or Gohan's, but Vegeta was blind to her arguments on the subject.

She knew she couldn't escape the fact that their children were alien hybrids, but Trunks and Bra had seemed to embrace settling into a wholly human way of living easier than Pan had managed to.

From talking with Gohan and Videl on numerous occasions, she had learnt that the young Son girl had been training in solitude, often for hours at a time until she collapsed from exhaustion. She would spend her nights looking into the sky – apparently she also had an odd fascination with astrology, lunar alignments and such forth; the universe and its mysterious powers in general.

It seemed fitting that Pan was so entranced by the skies and its secrets beyond what the human eye could see. She was the personification of Air itself; although she was physical in nature, embracing her Saiya-jin instincts through practice of several martial arts, she also was a deep thinker. She enjoyed intellectual challenges and was a supremely strategic fighter, pre-meditating her grandfather's moves, sometimes seemingly before he had realised himself what he was going to pull next.

It didn't come as a surprise when Pan's true essence started to shine through. With the absolute embodiment of Water for a grandfather, anything but Air would have caused doubt in her mind at least as to whether she was adopted.

Pan had turned into a careful thinker, not letting her teenage hormones rule her emotions. She would ponder every move she was going to make, every decision that needed careful thought. Because of this, it was rare that she found herself in an undesirable situation.

Nevertheless, like the Air, Pan was a dreamer. An impractical dreamer at that; one of the downfalls of her dominant element… It was because of these well thought through, but seemingly impossible dreams that Bulma had found herself in the situation she was in now.

Her last conversation with Pan was regarding the intergalactic travel program that Capsule Corp. was working on. Pan wanted to be the first human volunteer. Obviously her request was refused, with the addition of her parents protest at how she could not go travelling blindly into space on her own. With Trunks and her Grandfather was one thing – they were using only a standard Capsule Spaceship, which was only capable of travelling in the immediate Solar System. Alone, in new, untested technology was a definite no.

The argument raged for days, with Pan giving calculated answers to every negative that Gohan and Videl could muster. Eventually, on the fifth day of debate, the fighting ceased.

Intergalactic Prototype CC001 – The only working Capsule Ship prototype made; had gone.

* * *

**Thanks for reading **

**You know the drill by now – please review!**

**-listenserendipity**


	2. Chapter 2

The morning was young. A thin film of mist blanketed the landscape, the world given a gentle pinkish hue from the Sun peeking over the horizon. The grass was still wet with the crystalline dew that had settled itself in nicely overnight. The Earth as a whole was still sleeping, save the birds singing away merrily, looking for their first feed of the day.

There was one who was not sleeping however.

It had been an entire week since CC001 had disappeared, with Pan (hopefully) safely stowed away inside. It had been tough for everyone, not least her parents, who had seemed to isolate themselves from society completely, never returning anyone's calls, reluctantly answering the door to those brave enough to try and see them face-to-face. Capsule Corp. gatherings were definitely out of the question.

Confused, blue eyes stared longingly up into the sky.

"Where are you Pan-chan?"

Trunks knew more than most that it wasn't just a risky situation the intrepid 'space traveller' was in, it was downright dangerous. The prototype hadn't even been fully completed yet – another 'con' of her testing the ship – there was no point of contact installed. They didn't even know where the young girl was.

That was the problem with investing in intergalactic travel – you'd have to have a pretty robust telecommunications system to enable you to converse through various galaxies. They'd even got Goku to try and sense her ki, but to no avail, thus leading them to believe that she had already passed into some far-flung galaxy, leaving them with nothing but their prayers, hoping that she was OK.

As Pan had grown, many aspects of her personality had changed dramatically. Gone was the boisterous… almost overbearing tomboy he had gone into space with. She had become introvert, a recluse almost. It was rare for her to join in with 'family' activities. Whenever they would get together at Capsule Corp. for their annual get together, she wouldn't no longer join in with their childish games; gone was the Pan who would spearhead any campaign to wreck havoc upon their unsuspecting friends.

He sighed deeply. He missed the old Pan at times. He knew that everyone had to grow up at some point, but the change was just too drastic for him. He missed ridiculing her for her ill-thought through plans, her high-pitched shrieking whenever she didn't get her own way, how angry she got whenever she would lose a spar…

At least one thing hadn't changed – she still had an unwavering sense of adventure. Why else would she have left herself in the unforgiving hands of the universe?

Her fascination with the unknown was somewhat unsettling at times. It served no other purpose than to get her into trouble, that's for sure. She had turned into such a dreamer; it was as though she was already living on another planet at times.

Another planet… that's where she probably was now, at least he hoped she was.

* * *

The weeks turned into months, into years…

Some form of normality had found itself again on the Earth, with day-to-day life running as smoothly as it ever had.

Gohan and Videl still grieved silently for their lost daughter, but had found solace in an unexpected arrival, another child – their son, Goken. He was the spitting image of Gohan as a young boy – even down to the clothing that Chi-Chi had insisted that he wear – she didn't want another grandchild in a gi with frivolous dreams implanted in their head from an early age.

As a result, Goken's training was kept to a minimum. He spend the majority of his days playing happily as any other four-year old would in his back garden, helping his mother bake cakes, hanging off of his father's every word. Strangely, his relationship with his Grandmother Chi-Chi was stronger than that of his Grandfather, no matter how hard the light-hearted Saiya-jin tried.

Contact between the Son and Briefs family had become strained over the course of four years, Bulma believing inwardly that Gohan and Videl blamed her for the disappearance of their eighteen year old daughter, as she was then.

Pan would have been turning twenty-two in a matter of weeks. Her birthday was an unspoken milestone that no-one forgot, nor celebrated.

Trunks couldn't help but imagine what she was doing, where she was, what she looked like… She had plagued his mind ever since she had gone away, and it was starting to become unbearable. He was unfocused; he could never devote himself 100 percent to the task at hand. Hence, Bulma handed the reigns of Capsule Corp. over to Bra, letting Trunks take some well-earned time off. Admittedly that was three years ago now, and still his mother hadn't let him anywhere near the running of the company again, choosing to leap into the Vice-President's role once again, much to the disdain of those around her, telling her to start to slow down, actually enjoy life again, rather than have the stresses of running a global enterprise staying with her well into her sixties.

Although he fully understood the pursuit of one's dreams, he couldn't believe how selfish she had been at the same time. There had been no contact for four years, here he was wondering what the stupid girl looked like, she could be _dead_ for all they knew.

Dead…

No! That was one thought that the purple haired Saiya-jin had to continually shake off. He couldn't be pessimistic with regards to this situation. Positive thinking held more power over events that people would generally like to think.

He still held some degree of hope that she would return home, prove to the non-believers that she did still care for them all, unlike his _father_, the man who upped and left his entire family in pursuit of some long dead dream.

She wasn't like him, was she?

* * *

The vast expanse of the universe was a foreboding thing. The never-ending spray of black spread in front of a person could more often than not be the trigger to send one over the edge. However, it was the solitude and the undefined beauty of the darkness that Son Pan so enjoyed.

Her journey through numerous solar systems and galaxies had been a fruitful one. She had discovered planets that those on Earth could have only dreamed of, technologies that would make Bulma and her father possibly wet themselves with joy. She smiled, thinking of her family back home. Although there had been no contact for so long now, she still held them dearly in her heart. Family meant everything to one after all.

She particularly missed her Grandpa and Trunks… It definitely wasn't the same going into space without them.

There was just one more errand she had to complete before departing for Earth; one more planet to visit – in her own solar system – one more planet to gaze upon before resuming normality… and explaining why she went on this uncharted 'mission' in the first place.

She leant back in her chair, brushing her waist length hair back over her shoulders. She really needed a hair cut – it was becoming a hindrance having to maintain it, especially in combat. One thing she had got used to was the classic Saiya-jin spandex she had got given on a far, far away planet by a helpful family of, well, the kindest way to put it would have been little, green aliens – they had heard of the Saiya-jin legend and were fascinated by their culture. They had been given a relic of the 'long-forgotten' (as they had put it – ha!) Saiya-jin training suits, and had given it to her as a present in exchange for her first hand accounts of witnessing the Super Saiya-jin transformation and beyond.

She was snapped from her reverie by her ship's control panel beeping and flashing, alerting her to the fact that they were fast approaching her chosen destination.

"Five minutes until point A reached." The metallic voice of the computer echoed throughout her ship, ensuring that the young space traveller was all suited and booted, ready for the violent judder and halt that the ship hadn't yet perfected as a stopping procedure.

Pan held her breath in anticipation. This was going to be the hardest part of her journey to date. It was an excursion she was hoping to put off forever, but somehow she was drawn to this part of the universe. It wasn't a planet she could explore – hell, she couldn't even land on it, but she needed to see it for her own eyes sake. She looked out of the front window as they neared closer, before feeling the unmistakable smack and bounce of the ship stopping.

She exhaled deeply as the ship made a similar sound, the engine letting off stream and settling into a state of rest for the time being.

All she could see through the large circular windows was a mass of twinkling stars, their gorgeous pattern studded with large pieces of rock, floating lifelessly. There wasn't even a surface big enough for her to walk on, let alone a ship land on.

The pieces of rock were a deep red in colour, beautiful in contrast to the deathly black around it. There didn't seem to be any sign of disturbance for decades.

A lump formed in Pan's throat as she gazed upon the mass of shining white and burning red. She blinked back tears, she couldn't cry, she didn't want to cry. She was too strong to cry at this…

It was no use. The young woman fell to her knees as the dam behind her eyes buckled, tears started to stream down her cheeks, her eyes never leaving the sight before her.

A choked whisper released itself:

"_Vegeta-sei…"_

* * *

**Eeeeeep…. Sorry this took so long, had a mental week, and now it's a bank holiday and have one hundred and one places to be… So instead I did this. **

**Will try and update COA this week before I go away on Thursday… **

**Thanks for reading!**

**-listenserendipity**


	3. Chapter 3

An indescribable sense of loss washed over Pan. Grief was consuming her from all angles, and she was less than powerless to stop the unwanted feelings from crashing down on her like storm ravaged waves on jagged rocks.

Coupled with the extreme emptiness she was feeling she also felt a hint of confusion. Sure, she was a Saiya-jin herself, but a third generation hybrid. Vegeta-sei was never her home. She never set foot on the doomed planet; she knew little to nothing about the way the society was run, the people as a whole. She only had snippets of information that were 'graciously' divulged to her in her inquisitive youth during the infrequent sparring sessions with Vegeta before he left to pursue his birthright.

There was a reason why she left this journey until last in her intergalactic excursion. Never in all the years she had been travelling had she felt such an urge to go back 'home'. But now she was faced with a new dilemma; just where was home?

She had never expected the rush of angry sensations coursing through her veins from visiting the lost planet of her ancestors, the place where her Grandpa and Vegeta had started their magnificent journeys.

She shook her head in frustration. This was no home – hell, it wasn't even a planet; mourning for what you could never have was a foolish, childish desire.

Maturity had come easy to Pan over these long, eventful years. She found that she had to grow pretty quickly after meeting many an unhappy alien – disgusted at the fact that the Saiya-jin race was still alive and beating steadily in the heart of another. She had discovered many unwelcome truths about her noble race on her travels, heard horrific stories of bloodshed, merciless killing, and purging, pure and total destruction.

A wave of nausea hit her, the sour liquid rising up in her throat quicker than she could have anticipated it. She ran in a fruitless attempt to reach a bathroom, instead vomiting viciously into her cupped hands. Hot, salty tears began their ruthless assault down her reddened cheeks again, her body shaking with violent spasms. Memories she would have rather forgotten from her excursion darting freely into her temporarily broken mind.

This place was making her weak.

Slumped on the floor for longer than she would have liked, her thoughts once again cast back to the ones she had left behind on Earth. No doubt they were all terrifically angry with her. Who wouldn't be?

Summoning whatever strength she could gather, she pulled herself up shakily, making her way over to the control panel of her ship, trying her hardest not to look out of the large windows at the void left behind by the forgotten planet.

"Home… It's time to go home…"

* * *

Trunks was sat meditating in the private gardens of Capsule Corp. It was a day like any other, his mind still swirling with thoughts of his lost friend, his lost father, the lost connection between the old groups… Who would have thought it would have taken just a couple of loose joints in the intricate weave that was their friendships to make the whole thing collapse.

It had been months since he had seen Goten or Gohan… Goku was still a frequent visitor to his home – the bond he had forged so strongly with Bulma over decades of action and adventure hadn't waivered. They had been there for each other more so than any other of their so-called friends.

A burning resentment started to build in his chest. It was becoming clearer to him – there was no use for them anymore, not without the impending threat of genocide by some hideous character beyond all morality – without the need to excel and grow stronger, just what did they all have in common except sepia-toned memories of 'greatness' from long ago?

There was little to no happiness left within him right now – he felt such a fool for not realising sooner that the introvert little madam was actually the glue that held him together. Their journey in space had done inexplicable things to him. He had watched her grow from an irritating young 'ragamuffin' into a mature young woman, who actually tended to think before she acted – unless she was riled up, of course.

He punched the ground in anger, savouring the resounding thud that came from the thick earth beneath him. His fiery temper was one of the downsides of being the offspring of one of the strongest warriors in the universe and the unfaltering genius of Bulma Briefs. As such, he had inherited both Fire and Earth from them – an almost impenetrable combination. However, it was one he was dying to tame.

The soothing influence of Air upon his soul was something he missed desperately. No longer did he want the heat that was slowly building in his belly to continue its desperate assault on his senses. He wanted a degree of normality back. Although he would whinge and moan about Pan drawing into herself, he still enjoyed her company, her wistful remarks about the wider plain, how there had to be more to life than just sitting and waiting for their next adventure…

It felt as though a cool breeze had just washed over his burning body… but the air was still, stagnant even. His eyes opened from their attempted meditation in confusion, meeting the blue of the sky in perfect harmony.

It was as though the atmosphere of the Earth had just changed. It felt lighter, easier to breathe.

His train of thought was interrupted by the distinctive screeching of his sister running up behind him.

"She's back! Trunks, no shit, she's actually back!" She screamed, jumping up and down like a child filled to the brim with E-Numbers.

He could do nothing but stare incredulously at the bouncing mass of aquamarine hair in front of him, mouth hanging. It was too good to be true, surely? The day he had been waiting for… for _so_ long… really… Was it really her?

"Why aren't you mo-oving?" Bra resumed her high-pitched wait, excitement positively oozing from every pore. "Mum has pinpointed where the ship should land… she's calling Gohan and Videl right now… Are you even listening to _me_!?"

All the dumbstruck man could do was nod, getting unsteadily to his feet and letting himself get dragged along by the personification of hyperactivity herself.

At least one thing would seem familiar to Pan once she landed.

* * *

**Sorry this is so short, but I guess it's just kinda like a filler chapter before the older, wiser (?) Pan is back in everyone's lives… I know it seems as though I've skimmed over a few details, but there's a reason for that - all shall be revealed in due time.**

**I'm away from tomorrow for about a week or so, so no updates for a while I'm afraid, but at least both stories are set up for some fireworks now, so there's gonna be no excuse for not updating when I'm back.**

**Have a cracking week guys, hope to have heard from lots of you when I get back!**

**-listenserendipity**


	4. Chapter 4

_Apologies to those who've already read this chapter - I woke up this morning and realised there were horrific inconsistencies that I needed to correct. Shows what you do to your brain after a weekend of drinking and no sleep. Sorry again!_

* * *

As Pan's ship drew closer into the Earth's atmosphere, a sense of dread washed over her. Was she really ready to come back; to face the music, as would be? A shiver ran down her spine as she started to sense the ki's of the ones she loved all gather in one place, each of them shining out like beacons lining a cliff-face.

She deduced correctly that as her ship was in such close proximity to the planet, Bulma would have been able to pinpoint her landing site and 'amass the troops' as she often used to put it.

The years of isolation and solitude had changed her remarkably – not just in mind and spirit, but also in body. She was older now; her birthday would be in a matter of Earth days.

_Earth days… Get me; I'm quite the traveller…_

Thinking inwardly or occasionally talking had been a habit that she had unexpectedly adopted, and now sought a high level of comfort in. However, it was a habit she would have to drop fairly quickly if she weren't to seem affected or even ruined from her time away.

She leant back in her chair, hands behind her head, legs crossed – the classic Son pose… At least some things hadn't changed. Her line of sight trailed down from the ceiling of her craft to the large windows in front of her and the control panel. The Earth was coming into full spectacularly. She had to admit – after all the planets and terrains she had experienced over the years, there was nothing that had even come close to rivalling her home planet's beauty.

The oceans spread magnificently for her, their charming blue emanating calm and tranquillity. One thing she couldn't wait to do was go for a swim, maybe a spot of fishing with her Grandfather. His fluid motions through the water had always captivated her; he was so at home in a lake or river. A spar would go down nicely as well, show him how she had improved over the course of the years, how each planet's different climate had enhanced her skills in a different way.

The onboard system started to chime and beep in its warning to her that landing was imminent, so she readied herself, sitting back in a more sensible position in her chair, ensuring that she was buckled tight in case of any problems – she had made the mistake of ignoring the warning signals the first time she took off in the craft. Pan giggled, remembering how the rough landing had sent her flying, leaving her with the most impressive black eye and the most magnificent lump on her forehead.

The Earth came into closer view. Forests, lakes, buildings, you name it; she could see it and she drank it in. It had been far too long.

* * *

The Briefs and Sons stood in impatient wait in a space not dissimilar to where Mirai Trunks had led them for Goku's return all those years ago.

Goku was embroiled in gentle kata, passing the time in the only way he knew, whilst Bulma and Chi-Chi chatted amongst themselves as though they had not seen each other for years.

Goten and Bra were fawning over Goken who was amusing them with tales of bakery and bugs – less than a week ago he had given Videl the fright of her life by making his own 'special' addition to the lemon drizzle cake she had been making. The laughter fizzled out as a choked sob echoed around the dusty, desolate landscape. Gohan held his shaking wife as the tears started to flow freely.

"Hey, Vi, are you OK?" Goten stopped his playing with Goken and went to help Gohan console the trembling woman whilst Bra stayed to amuse the youngest Son.

The middle-aged woman wiped her eyes and stepped out of her husband's grip.

"I'm just scared as to what we'll find… She's not going to be my little girl anymore; I'm not under any illusions there." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I mean, what are the chances that she's even on the ship? What if it's someone else?"

Everyone in the group turned to stare at Videl. That was a situation none of them had even thought to comprehend.

"Of course it's going to be Pan!" Goku's every cheery voice pierced the silence. "In fact, I _know_ it's Pan – can't you feel it? Gohan?"

The Saiya-jin's that could sense ki looked to the sky, breathing a sigh of relief when Goku's statement was proved to be true; no-one more so than Trunks. He had previously pondered Videl's thoughts, but had pushed them to the back of his mind as he had so many times with other pessimistic thoughts he had.

The sky was clear, not a cloud in the sky, making it easier to spot the large silver ship drawing into view, preparing for landing.

The air was thick with tension, each member of group anticipating the arrival of their long-lost friend, niece, daughter, and granddaughter.

* * *

The ship started to rattle ominously. Pan was shaken from her thoughts and leant over the control panel. Several lights were flashing at her, indicating she was in for a rough landing.

"Here goes nothing…"

After pressing numerous buttons and pulling levers left, right and centre, she resigned herself to the fact that it was going to be a rough landing. Bracing herself, she could do nothing but look on as the ship hurtled towards the ground faster than she would like.

* * *

The group looked on in horror as they realised the ship wasn't slowing as much as it should.

"Get back!" Bulma's high-pitched rang out as the group started to run away from the predicted point of impact.

A massive bang resonated around the desolate wasteland, sending plumes of smoke and dust hundreds of feet into the air.

Trunks and Gohan stopped moving backwards and looked back at the dust rising, their hearts stopping for a brief moment before they changed direction and ran back into the thick, acrid powder, trying to find any sign of Pan.

They stopped in their tracks as they heard the familiar sound of a ki blast and a mangled metal door went flying over their heads. The filthy air started to clear and they saw a young woman with hair black as night knelt on one knee, seeming to try and catch her breath. She looked up, the first thing she saw being the piercing blue eyes of the heir to the Saiya-jin throne.

Her mouth opened in surprise, only to be filled with the metallic taste of blood. Her hand raised up the feel a fresh wound, raw and throbbing above her eyebrow. She groaned in annoyance.

_Yet another scar…_

After raising her eyes again the blue eyes she had seen had been replaced with the concerned black orbs of none other than her father.

"Pan? Pan-chan?"

Before she could answer she was hauled to her feet and embraced tightly, her face squashed against the toned muscle of her father's chest, a comfort she had long forgotten. He lifted into the air, and flew away from the mangled ship, out of the clouded air and towards the rest of their family and friends. He placed her gently on the ground and lifted his hand to inspect the bleeding cut on her face.

"Leave it! I'm fine!" Pan's strong voice cut through Gohan like a sharpened knife, his daughter batting his hand away with an unnecessary force. The young woman got to her feet and stood tall, folding her arms over her chest to display that she was, in fact, alright.

Nobody moved. This wasn't characteristic of the eighteen-year old they had lost all those years ago; this was a different person completely. Her aura still emanated the cooling feeling of air, as it always had done, but there was a dark, deeper edge to it, almost copying the effect that a warm, damp breeze had on you after a heavy rainstorm.

Videl stepped in to diffuse what could have been a potential 'situation' on their hands.

"Pan, let's get you to Capsule Corp. to clean that cut up. Then, we can sit down and talk."

Pan nodded in acceptance of her mother's words, looking around her trying to take in all the events at hand. It had been such a long time since she had seen any of the people around her. Her grandfather looked pretty much the same, that wasn't a surprise there. Her grandmother and Bulma both looked older – a lot older. The same went for her mother and father, which was surprising. Goten, Trunks and Bra looked the same as ever, although Goten and Bra looked a lot closer than she had remembered…

"Hey, I'm Goken, who are you?"

She looked down to see a young boy with dark hair and eyes to rival her own pulling at her leg, snapping the spandex suit she was wearing painfully against her thigh. She knelt down to meet his line of sight, putting a shaky hand on his shoulder.

"Goken, huh? Well, I'm Pan. I'm guessing your Daddy is over there?" She said softly to the young boy whilst nodding in Goten's direction.

_Wow… I can't believe him, getting with Bra and having a kid while I'm away…_

"No, Uncle Goten's not my Daddy, he is!" His face brightened, pointing in Gohan's direction.

Pan's mouth hung open, his eyes fixed on the small boy in front of her. She looked from him to her father and back again several times. There was no denying it now it had been said. She had seen photos of her father when he was younger, just before Radditz had first appeared on Earth. It was as though she was looking into the past, Goken's appearance was identical to her father's when he was a small boy.

She turned to her mother, eyes clouding over.

"I have a little brother?"

Videl nodded slowly, trying to gauge her daughter's reaction. She was shocked; no doubt about that, but apart from that, her mood to the new arrival to the family was indifferent.

"There's a lot for you to catch up on," Gohan said, stepping forward and hoisting his youngest child on to his shoulders. "We should head over to Capsule Corp. like we said before and fill you in. Then you can do the same for us." His expression hardened on his last sentence.

He knew that there was a lot that Pan didn't know, but likewise, they all needed answers too. It was wholly irresponsible for her to leave as she did, and leave them with no contact, just their hopes and prayers for so long. Her disappearance had almost been the end of him and Videl, but Goken was their knight in shining armour, so to speak.

However, he knew it wasn't just him who had felt the effects of Pan's departure. He had heard from Goten how Bulma had reacted and how Trunks had almost slipped off the edge.

They all needed answers and by Kami's name, he was going to make damn sure that they got them.

* * *

**Well, aren't you lucky bunnies. Due to the festival I went to getting cancelled before it had even started I'm back a day early, now clean, refreshed, but still a little way away from human.**

**I was the clever bugger who drank all the cider and managed to bail in over a foot of mud. Wicked! Still had an amazing time mind, so make it all the more fun and rewarding for me by dropping me a review.**

**Lovely job.**

**-listenserendipity**


	5. Chapter 5

Pan had been filled in on the majority of the events she had missed whilst she had been travelling. The major detail, obviously, was that of her new sibling, little Goken.

He was nothing like she had been at that age. He was full of life, which went without saying, what four-year old doesn't have an unlimited supply of boundless energy? However, he wasn't enamoured with the martial arts lifestyle as she had been. In fact, he didn't train at all… he was almost as a weak as a pure-bred human child.

She had learnt that Bulma and Bra had taken over the running of Capsule Corp. whilst Trunks… well, didn't do much. He had remained suspiciously silent throughout the rundown of the past few years. She kept on stealing glances in his direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was on his mind. Before her solitary adventure she had been able to read him so well, the consequence of spending a year in space with a person she supposed, but now she couldn't make head or tail of him.

Every so often, their eyes would meet and they would spend a brief second trying to understand the other, but always to no avail. There'd always be another trying to put their two cents in, letting her know exactly what she'd missed by 'running way' as they'd so kindly put it.

"I did not run away."

Pan's voice cut through the jumble of noises coming from her friends and family, who were all speculating as if she weren't there as to why she had left.

A heavy silence descended like a rain cloud over the group.

"So would you care to explain what it actually was then, Pan? Because it sure as hell wasn't a holiday! Not only did you leave, no _abandon_ your family and friends with no contact for nearly four years, you also _stole_ from Bulma!"

Pan shifted uncomfortably in her spandex, trying to ignore the numerous pairs of eyes boring into her skin. She had never thought of the situation that way, she was only pursuing a dream… her dream. The draw of the universe had been too great for her to ignore, and so she went for it, leapt into its unforgiving blackness, let herself get enveloped in a world of starlight and supernovas… And she had been truly happy there.

"It was for me, Daddy. Pure and simple; there were a thousand worlds calling my name, and I went to them."

"Don't give me that _crap_, Pan! You can't act like a summer breeze all your life! I think your immaturity is shining through brighter than any 'calling' you seem to think you had. I think you need to take a step back, young lady, and realise your actions weren't based on anything, except _selfishness_."

Pan held her head high, swallowing hard to try and dispel the tears that were hammering against the backs of her eyes. This was not something to cry about – there had been _real_ things to cry about on her journey – this was certainly not one of them.

"I'm not going to mould into the perfect student, employee or _daughter_ from some harsh words, Daddy. Have you never felt anything just scream out for you? Open its arms wide and wait for your embrace?" She stood from her chair and looked at everyone sat around the large table in the Capsule Corp. dining room.

"All of you have had dreams, all of you… But only a few have even dared to try and find them. Grandpa, you know exactly what I'm talking about." She stared defiantly at the older warrior in front of her.

Goku nodded softly, remembering his split second decision to train Uub for the majority of her younger years, how his life literally trickled slowly, yet gracefully in whichever direction he chose. There were no constraints, no borders, just his ambition.

"I think you all should take a long, hard look at yourselves. Realise what you've been missing, because I'm not going to wait for my dreams and ambitions to slip through my fingers."

She turned her back on the table and started for the door, her back straight, her head held high.

"Pan, I think you owe us at least a rundown of what you did in those 'precious' four years, don't you?"

She turned back around, only to get caught in her mother's eyes, the only person who she couldn't refuse in this muddled situation. She took a deep breath to steady herself, before retreating to her previous position, ready to start a story of sorts.

"I didn't have a plan as such, that much you already knew…" She paused. "But I did visit places I could have never imagined."

She ran through the numerous planets in fur-flung galaxies that she visited, aliens of character that one could only imagine and techniques that had Goku on the edge of his seat. However, her stories were purposefully vague. She wasn't ready to reveal all of her secrets just yet, all of the trails and tribulations she encountered… it wasn't necessary at that point.

"In our Solar System, I visited New Namek, and met all of the elders and friends you had all spoken about, they all send their love, and I have several gifts for some of you from the majority of villagers there. Actually, they're still on the ship…"

"It's on its way back here now; I've sent others to retrieve it." Bulma supplied helpfully.

Pan smiled gratefully, continuing her short story.

"Also, Grandpa, I visited the planet Yardrat, they were very pleased to hear of you alive and well still. They also gave me a gift," she stopped again, grinning as she did so often as a youngster, raising her index and middle fingers to her forehead, concentrating hard for a moment then disappearing from sight. She returned a few moments later with one of Roshi's 'sports' magazines in tow.

"It's an amazing technique, huh?"

Goku smiled, clapping his hands in appreciation of his granddaughter.

Pan continued to fill in bits and pieces of where her time went, still leaving out details she felt to be 'confidential', such as her call to Vegeta-sei.

"…And that's about it…" She trailed off, waiting for the endless barrage of questions that would come at her from all angles.

They never came. Pan was surprised; she had thought that her explanation wouldn't have been thorough enough for her parents. She was glad, regardless of her confusion; she was tired, and wanted nothing more than her own bed for the night… although _her _bed was now in the Capsule Corp. ship. It was going to be a strange feeling going back to her old house.

"It's late," stated Bulma. "Shall I order in some food for us all then prep the guest rooms for you guys? It's a bit of a flight back to Mount. Pazou."

Pan and Goku grinned like Cheshire cats. She had obviously forgotten about their convenient, shared techniques.

"You know, Bulma, we could just I.T home, to save you the trouble," replied Goku, then remembering his manners with a swift clout to the head from Chi-Chi to remind him. "But thanks for the offer!"

"What if I insist? It's been far too long since we've all been together, don't you think?"

Everyone nodded mutually, as the happy hostess started making arrangements for dinner and later, once again in her element, having everyone in her home again.

Groups started to disperse into various parts of the Capsule Compound, leaving Pan at the table with only her grandfather.

"We all missed you Pan-chan, you know that, right?"

Pan nodded, her eyes dropping to study her hands intently. This was the part she had been dreading. Out of all the people she had missed, she had outright pined for her grandfather and to an extent Trunks as well. Initially it had seemed sacrilegious to be roaming outer space without those two by her side.

"And I do know that you experienced more than you're letting on, but in your own time, Panny. You know I'll never judge, and I'll always listen."

A genuine smile spread across her face, she could always count on her Grandpa Goku to be the most understanding out of all of her family. It wasn't an unexpected fact though, considering they were so alike. Water and air could thrive upon one another in the right situation. The elements combined could disprove any theory, overcome any hardship, but most importantly, solve any problem plaguing you.

Her grandfather outstretched his arms, beckoning her in for a hug. Safe and secure in her Grandpa's arms she shut her eyes in quiet contemplation, savouring the moment.

"They're all happy to have you back, you know that? They're just finding it harder to understand."

Goku's eyes met the identical black of his granddaughters, acknowledging her slight nod in response to his question.

She broke the hug, getting to her feet and giving him a swift peck on the cheek, as she had done so many times when she was a little girl.

"Thank you, Grandpa."

* * *

**Why so many secrets Pan? Huh? HUH? We'll just have to see.**

**-listenserendipity**


	6. Chapter 6

Pan was awoken by the brilliant morning sun creeping its way into the room Bulma had graciously loaned her. It felt like such a novelty to wake to natural light, rather than relying on the artificial light cycle on her ship. She stretched blissfully under the pristine cotton sheets before hauling herself to her feet and padding over to the window, taking in the beautiful sight in front of her.

It had been too long since she had been able to appreciate blue sky, as silly as it sounded. It seemed as though Earth was unique in that trait – she was positively sick to death of red, brown, black, even green skies. Her eyes drank in the beautiful life flourishing in the gardens below her; the graceful plum trees, bent and distorted, the cherry blossoms, slowly starting to brown and rot to signify the coming of autumn and the rows of perfectly planted chrysanthemums.

She brushed her hair out of her eyes, attempting to flick it over her shoulder _yet again_. She grunted, first things first today – she was going to get this mess chopped off. She continued tugging at the mass of ebony silk that persisting spilling down her front, all the while muttering.

"Your times up, stupid hair… I'm gonna chop you today, that's right – it's over!"

"Wow, space really does turn one insane…"

Pan turned round in shock, ready to defend herself against her unwanted intruder, only to meet the ocean eyes of the one person who she hadn't yet spoken to since she'd been back. Her eyes narrowed, unable to meet the lavender haired boy with a suitable retort.

He sauntered over and plopped himself down on her bed, beckoning her to join him. She sat next to him, fiddling with the drawstring of her pyjama shorts, waiting for what the older man had to say.

They sat in a stagnant silence for what seemed like forever, neither one meeting each other's sneaky glances.

Trunks took that moment to process just how much Pan had matured over the course of four years. The body of a teenager was replaced with one of woman. Her eyes held a greater depth than he had remembered, although her face remained primarily the same, except with the addition of a few faint scars on her jaw line, fading down to her neck, not to mention the newly formed scab over her left eyebrow. Her arms had bulked out a little more, but not to the point that she looked masculine. There were more scars dotted there, some of them angry and red.

Pan caught Trunks looking out of the corner of her eye.

"Don't even think of asking. It's none of your business."

His eyes widened at Pan's cold words.

"What makes you think I would?"

The silence descended again like morning mist; the tension almost unbearable between the two.

"How did it come to this, Pan-chan?"

Trunks' words cut through to Pan's stomach. This was the person, other than her Grandpa that she was dreading seeing after her 'extended vacation'.

Their eyes met again, each searching the other for something, anything to get a hint of what the other was thinking.

Pan took in Trunks' shabby appearance. The clean-cut man she left behind had all but gone. His hair was longer, down past his shoulders, a hint of stubble graced his chiselled chin – she made a mental note that purple facial hair wasn't a good look. His eyes retained little of the vibrant glow that she remembered from her teenage years. However, she noted that he must have been training intensely due to the expanded bulk of his muscles and the difference in his ki signature.

"Nothing's changed y'know… I've just been away for a while…" She spoke softly, tentatively even. "I just needed my own time, to see everything on my own accord. It's not as though I didn't think of you all-."

"_Bullshit_ Pan, you could have contacted us through any number of means, but you didn't. You left us hanging, wondering whether you were dead or alive. Anything could have happened to you! What in Kami's name to you think that would have done to me!" He stopped abruptly, his attention focusing on his hands in his lap.

The familiar silence cloaked the duo once again as they both struggled to contain themselves. This was a lot harder on them than either could have anticipated.

"Well, maybe I didn't want to contact _you_."

Trunks' eyes narrowed at her spiteful comment.

"How mature, Pan, how very mature."

"I don't want to have a conversation about this now, Trunks, it's too early. Now get out while I change." She stood up from the bed and pointed to the door.

Trunks got up wordlessly and headed for the door, pausing in the doorframe and looking over his shoulder to her.

"I don't see why it matters now."

He left, leaving a fuming Pan with nothing but her thoughts.

* * *

**I know it's been a while and this chapter is very short**** – I did have this much written already on Sunday night but I had some terrible news later that evening so I didn't continue with it. At the moment I can't even think to add to this, so I hope you get some sort of satisfaction from reading this much. I'm try to get into the swing of things again, but I don't know whether I'm coming or going at the moment.**

**Apologies for the length again, hopefully the creative juices will start flowing again soon.**

**Take care,**

**-listenserendipity**


	7. Chapter 7

Pan sat on the soft bed provided by Bulma's kindness. She looked around the room and only then realised that it was the same one she had given to Vegeta upon his first prolonged stay on Earth. She leant back on her elbows and blew a strand of unruly dark hair out of her eyes. She couldn't believe Trunks, after all this time he was still hanging on to one stupid, meaningless night…

* * *

"_Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Pan-chan… Happy Birthday to you!"_

"_Blow your candles out Pan!"_

_The newly eighteen year old leant over the gargantuan cake that her Grandmother had created and blew gently down on the dancing flames decorating the thick icing. She made sure to be careful after hearing stories of her father's eleventh birthday party, when he had inadvertently wrecked the entire house with one over-zealous breath._

"_Hip, hip, hooray!!"_

_Her friends and family around her started cheering as all the flames blew out. She leant back on her chair and gave a satisfied smile, savouring the moment._

"_Chi, can we have some cake now?"_

_Her Grandpa's pleading voice sent them all into fits of raucous laughter._

_The party died down over the next few hours, with everyone either coupling off or sitting in the large conservatory, exchanging memories of past adventures and battles._

_Pan stealthily opened the French doors of the conservatory, getting ready to bolt into the sky for some much-needed peace. Bulma's parties were fantastic, but there got to be a point when she needed her own solitude again. Unfortunately, her patience seemed to only last for a couple of hours, so her brief departure was long overdue._

_As she readied to lift into the air, she felt a strong hand secure itself on her wrist._

"_Where you going Panny?"_

_She turned to see Trunks looking at her quizzically._

"_You can't be leaving me all on my own already?"_

_A smile spread across her features. This was the one guy she couldn't refuse. Since their adventure looking for the Black Star Dragonballs they had become unbelievably close for two with such a vast age difference. However, it wasn't something that was noticeable when comparing the two anymore. Pan had grown to be wise beyond her years, just like her father, and Trunks was still the wild child he had been, well, underneath the prim and proper CEO exterior anyway._

_He pulled her towards the undercover garden, away from the conservatory and any prying eyes._

"_I thought we should probably celebrate in style." He said, whipping out a bottle of the finest champagne and a couple of flutes from behind a shrub._

_Pan laughed at his actions. "You had this planned, didn't you?"_

_Trunks' silence was answer enough for her as he popped the cork from the bottle, managing to spray them both with the bubbling froth._

"_Trunks, you ass! Haven't you ever heard of tilting the bottle at a 45 degree angle first?"_

_His response was a childish pointed tongue at her as he managed to settle the frothing somewhat and pour a glass of the liquid gold for both of them._

_He raised his glass. "Happy Birthday, Pan-chan." _

_Their glasses clinked together and they both took a sip. _

_They sat for what seemed like hours as they talked about everything and anything, both entirely at ease with each other, Pan's head resting comfortably on Trunks' shoulder whilst he poured them both yet another glass of champagne._

"_Trunks, I should stop drinking this…" Pan gave a little hiccup. "It's very… fizzy."_

_He smiled and took her glass away from her. "Fair enough, it is pretty potent, I guess."_

"_Don't patronise me; just because I don't drink this stuff for breakfast Mr. CEO!"_

_He laughed and put his hand on her knee. "You make me laugh Pan-chan."_

_She looked up into his eyes as an unexpected silence fell upon them. Before either knew it, the minimal gap between them disappeared and their lips met in a soft, sweeping kiss. Pan withdrew quickly, her face flushed a remarkable shade of pink, mumbling something along the lines of 'sorry' into her lap._

"_Why are you sorry?"_

_Before she could answer she was swept away into another kiss, this time much deeper, with more soul and passion than she could have ever thought was possible from something as simple as a kiss. Her hands started to explore, roaming over his torso, memorising his defined stomach muscles, instinctively creeping lower and lower…_

_The kiss was broken, and once again a wave of regret washed over her. Trunks gathered the girl in his arms and levitated up to his open bedroom window, where their exotic dance would continue further…_

* * *

Pan let out a growl of discontent, slamming her fists down on to the soft bedding, almost losing her arms from underneath her. She managed to save herself before she ended up flat on her back.

She couldn't believe that one momentary lapse of composure had resulted in what was actually the best night of her life… although she wouldn't admit that to anyone else. It had only been three days since their encounter that she had gone into space.

Now she didn't really know how to approach the angry demi-Saiya-jin.

It had been years and he was a changed man. He didn't even have the same aura that she could recognise easily before.

Admittedly, she couldn't think of anything better than to rest in his arms again, but she wasn't about to tell him that. She had her own pride to think of in all this, besides; he didn't even know her anymore. He wasn't the only one who had changed.

She changed into some baggy training pants and a tank top, ready to release some of her pent-up frustration. She didn't like the feeling of not being in control, and it unsettled her stomach. She stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, braiding her hair and piling it up into a bun. Splashing her face with water, she felt reinvigorated to an extent, and set about trying to locate her Grandpa.

Her index and middle fingers rose to her forehead as she pinpointed his ki with her uncle and as she closed her eyes, ready to concentrate, her door opened again. Her eyes remained closed as she felt her intruder walk closer to her, then snake his arms around her waist.

"I can't bear it to be like this Pan… You don't understand how much I've missed you… How much I've needed you…" He trailed off, unsure how to continue.

"Trunks… I… You wouldn't understand." Pan pushed his arms away from her waist and opened her eyes, her dark eyes boring into his lightened ones.

"What's there not to understand?"

"Everything."

* * *

**So… got a brief spurt of inspiration today so I used it; I'm not sure what I've set up here, but I would love to hear where you think this going.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**-listenserendipity**


	8. Chapter 8

"Everything?" Trunks' voice echoed Pan's.

Pan nodded slowly, taking a tentative step backwards.

"You don't know me anymore, Trunks. A lot has changed since… _that night_." Her words became biting, loathing even.

Trunks' looked hurt at her words. He turned away from her and shut his eyes in silent frustration. He couldn't understand how she could so easily dismiss him – they were so close before she left – now she was almost a total stranger.

Before, there was nothing he didn't know about her, he could pinpoint her every mood, emotion, he even could pre-empt what her next move would be during a sparring match, sometime before she even realised herself. He wasn't going to accept her vague and disappointing reason for giving him the brush off.

His thoughts were interrupted by Pan starting to raise her fingers to her forehead again, ready to run away from the situation at hand. At the blink of an eye, he spun round, grabbing her hand in a grip that would have reduced the average human male to a gibbering, squirming mess on the floor. Pan however, didn't budge, instead giving him an intense glare.

"Let go of me, Trunks." She bore her teeth at him, a low growl emitting from her throat.

"Not a chance, not until we resolve this."

They were met in deadlock for several minutes, neither one wanting to back down.

He kept hold of her right hand with the same fierce pressure, using his free hand to lift the trace the new scars from her travels on her arms.

"Tell me, Pan-chan… How did you manage this then?"

"_Fuck_ off, Trunks."

"Now, now, Panny, that's no way to talk to your friends, now, is it?"

The anger was building up steadily in Pan's body. She couldn't take this sort of contact and interrogation. She needed her own space, and fast. It couldn't register in her head as to why he felt such a claim to her, why he felt the need to know everything about her so desperately.

"If I recall, _Trunks-san_, you were the one who didn't even bother to speak to me for twenty-four hours after I returned, so don't you dare act like you care now."

"What would you have liked me to do Panny?" He grinned, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Would you have liked me to run to you, scooping you into my arms? Showering you with heartfelt kisses and whispering four years worth of sweet nothings into your ears?"

"Trunks…" Pan's voice was threatening.

"Or would you have rather I presented you with a welcome home glass of _champers_, coupled with a little _dancing_ afterwards? I do seem to recall you enjoy some of the finer things in life, my darling…"

"Trunks, you conceited son of a bitch! Just stop it before I-!"

Before she could say anymore, Trunks leant forward and captured her lips with his own, the pressure of his emotions surprising Pan into gasping, giving him unprecedented access to her mouth. The kiss was hungry, desperate even. No matter how much Pan could have protested, there was no doubt that this act of 'kindness' was definitely on his terms.

However, behind the accepting exterior, Pan was fuming. How dare he? _How dare he?_ At the same time, she hated herself for not having the strength to not react to him physically…

Trunks was in his element. He hadn't planned to just… assault her with his kiss, but damn, he was glad he had. He hadn't expected her to react so readily to him, but Gods, didn't she react! He could feel her body pressing against his with a fervour to match that night they spent together, he could feel how much she had grown… he just wanted to see…

His hands started to fumble with her tank top; she could swear that they were shaking. The sudden loss of pressure on her hand and she new sensations of his hands gracing her abdomen were enough to jolt her back to reality and give him a forceful shove backwards, sending him flying on to his backside.

"Don't you _ever_ try something like that again, you filthy pervert!"

Trunks stared up at her with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"What? If I'm not mistaken…"

"Well you were mistaken! Don't even think about thinking about it again!"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" Pan yelled through gritted teeth.

The room fell silent, neither one knowing what to say to the other.

Trunks' eyes fell to his hands in his lap. The sexual tension in the room was getting unbearable, he was sure of it. Glancing up at Pan briefly he noticed she seemed to be experiencing a similar sort of discomfort to him. Her face was flushed – a mixture of embarrassment and… general heat? He wasn't sure. All he knew is that although he should have probably got up from the floor and left her to a long time ago, but he couldn't bring himself to do so.

After that night she had plagued him in every aspect of his life, even in his dreams. So many restless nights he had experienced, with the pinnacle of his Earthly pleasure dancing around him, igniting his senses like a summer breeze. Her behaviour at present was confusing him no end though, although it also excited him to a point as well.

The 'old' Pan grew out of her desire for confrontation as became more enamoured with the finer details in life, such as watching the clouds float by on a bright, spring morning, or the gentle rumblings signifying the start of a late summer thunderstorm.

He thought back to when she was a lot younger, on the Black Star Dragonball Hunt. She was almost unbearable to start with, but slowly but surely, the boisterous, young Saiya-jin became his best friend. She was someone he could share anything, no matter how trivial or simple the matter at hand seemed. He watched her grow into a graceful young woman, peaceful and serene. She took after Goku so remarkably it was unsettling at points.

Now, however, he couldn't really relate her to any one person in her family. Her unwavering aura of serenity was punctured, and on overwhelming sense of anger and insecurity seemed to bubble over like a steaming pot of rice.

He looked up from his hands, only to drown in the most intense black eyes he had ever seen. Clear, blue glass met polished black marble, both searching for the answer to a question not yet asked.

_What happened to you?_

* * *

**Hello… well, sorry for taking so long, yet again. I've had a testing few weeks and I'm starting to regain some sort of normality only now.**

**Apologies if this chapter is a tad confusing, I'm a little jumbled at the mo and I think it's reflecting a fair bit in my writing. However, I think it also kinda suited what's going on here.**

**Feedback as ever would be greatly appreciated, although I'm sure with the time it took me to sort this chapter, I don't deserve it!**

**Hope you're all keeping well and hope to chat to a few of you soon.**

**-listenserendipity**


	9. Chapter 9

Pan laughed freely as she sat at the master console of her 'borrowed' ship. She had been in space, travelling wherever she pleased for the past six months and was enjoying every minute of it. She had met new friends of shapes and sizes and had managed to master a few techniques she could have only dreamt of. Her visit to planet Yardrat had to be her most savoured experience yet – once they figured out exactly who her grandfather was she was welcomed with open arms. She had actually stayed there for almost a month, much longer than she had originally planned to.

She had now tested the capacity of the craft further, willing it to use its special ability – inter-galactic travel. Only now would she fully be able to explore the depth of space itself. She had entered random co-ordinates, being sure to keep those for Yardrat saved securely and backed-up a couple of times in case anything untoward was to happen – running out of fuel, for example. It was much closer than Earth and still had all the resources imaginable there.

The console started to flash red, signifying that they were approaching their destination – the indicator warning her that they were about to enter a planet's atmosphere interrupting her thoughts. She sat back in the grossly oversized chair and strapped herself in. After the close encounter she had initially at her first destination – _Kepla_ – she no longer thought herself to above safety rules and regulations. It was embarrassing to have to be taken directly to their version of an infirmary with the bloodiest head wound she had ever seen.

"_Planet Daifor approaching… Atmospheric descent imminent."_

The robotic voice of the console reverberated around the high, steel walls of the main control room. Pan took a deep breath and got ready for a rocky ride.

As the descent advanced, she felt something strange about the planet. The atmosphere seemed almost… thick, as though a knife was slicing through chilled butter. Butterflies started to flap manically in her stomach, the feeling of unrest and dread not helping with the massive decrease in altitude. She shut her eyes and concentrated on her breathing, as her Grandpa Goku had shown her during their meditation sessions at Mount Pazou.

"_No, no, no Panny, you're too tense."_

"_It's easy for you to say Gramps; you've always been able to do this."_

_Goku laughed loudly and brought his hand up to the back of his head as he would usually do in situations that were humorous to him._

"_I couldn't always just let go Panny, you need to just, well… forget!"_

"_Uhhh… easier said than done!" _

_Pan leapt to her feet, ready to knock the whole session on the head. At times she could be the least patient person known to man, especially when it came to learning new techniques. Goku grabbed her hand, gently pulling her back down on to her backside to sit alongside him again._

"_Right, think about it this way," he motioned for her to cross her legs and straighten her back as before. _

"_Imagine you're a stream, a tiny, infant stream. You're running along slowly, taking in everything at your banks. You can see the green of the grass, the blue of the sky reflecting upon your surface, you can feel the small life swimming through your crystal veins."_

_He paused to let it all sink in, but was instead greeting my hysterical laughter._

"_What's so funny Pan-chan?"_

_Pan continued to laugh, before calming herself to stutter out: "I think that's probably the most profound thing you've ever said!"_

_Her laughter subsided over time, and she started to concentrate, and really think about what her grandfather had said. Suddenly, it all seemed to make sense, and clarity came to her like a swift smack in the face. From then on, meditation was a way of life for her. Her 'meaningless' (as some had called it) hours in the depths of the countryside, or in barren wasteland far from civilisation had been moments of purity, character-defining, if you will._

A brief smile played upon her lips as she remember her sessions with Goku, the way that they would always settle and feel completely at ease with each other. Neither would need to make mindless conversation in order to make the atmosphere 'comfortable', as she would sometimes find if she was hanging out with her father, or Goten.

The descent to Daifor was proving to be more of an arduous trek than Pan had expected. Trying to concentrate her mind into a placid state was proving impossible as she was flung side to side, her head repeatedly getting battered against the sturdy 'headrests' on either side of the main console seat. Her world started to become a blur as the noise of ship streaking through the thick pressure became unbearable. She remembered a red light flashing ominously at her before darkness enveloped her in its unforgiving embrace…

* * *

Trunks looked up to Pan, who was now sat cross legged on her bed, her eyes glazed over. She was deep in thought and he was afraid to touch her or disturb her. He hadn't seen someone locked in a concentration so intense for such a long time.

He watched her head slump forward, her eyes darting down to her lap and her hair spilling out of its bun. He watched her chest rise and fall as she took deep breaths, trying to steady herself.

He summoned some courage.

"What happened to you Pan-chan?"

Her head snapped up, her dark eyes glistening with unshed tears. The memories of that place, that horrible, _disgusting_ place were all flooding back to her. She had never thought that there were places in the universe with people, no, _things_, that held such little regard for other beings, let alone one another.

She locked eyes for what seemed like the millionth time that day with the lavender-haired Saiya-jin in front of her and opened her mouth to speak.

"…"

No words were enough.

She knew he wasn't stupid, he could sense that something untoward happened on her trip, but she wasn't going to be the one to divulge personal information. However, she knew it wouldn't be as easy as just ignoring the fact that some sort of silent exchange had just occurred.

One thing she had learnt about Trunks, was that he was as unwavering as solid rock when it came to something he wanted. He would stand tall and firm and not budge from his position until he had what he wanted. She tore her eyes away from his in the hope that ignorance would be bliss – if she couldn't see him, he wasn't really there.

More minutes passed, with only the muted cries of Bulma and Vegeta having yet another pointless argument and the sweet sounds of birds outside keeping them company. Pan could still feel Trunks' liquid eyes completely focused on her, still silently searching for an answer she would not give. She stood; ready to escape this dire situation.

Trunks cleared his throat, ready to spoke, but Pan cut him off before he even had the chance to form a coherent syllable.

"Do not pry into what you do not know. Do not judge me, for you have no idea. Just, please, let me be."

She moved to the door and opened it and exited in one fluid motion, leaving Trunks with the same question that plagued him earlier. For once, with Pan, he couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. Whenever there was an issue between them previously, it would only take mere minutes before either one of them divulged the precious information that the other needed to make things better. Now it was as though they were complete strangers.

His head spun and nausea set in. His mind was clouded – all he could see were hints of black and red – a murky colour that had no beginning or end. The world spun and he clambered on to Pan's bed, flopping down with a force he didn't expect. He closed his eyes, willing the almost bloody colour away from his vision, and eventually fell asleep, still searching for answers in his dreams.

* * *

**Another late update… my sincere apologies once again. It's summer, it's my fault, yadda yadda yadda.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy… just what did happen to Pan? Cor, blimey, I don't have a clue… although do be warned, I have a feeling the rating will go up in future chapters. Cos I'm that sort of girl – sorry!**

**-listenserendipity**


	10. Chapter 10

A late afternoon haze set upon the grounds of Capsule Corp. The summer was in full swing, the air hanging thick and low over those unlucky enough to be out in the sweltering humidity. Pan lay on her back, arms spread, watching the clouds rumble in, turning the gentle blue hue of the sky into a depressing blanket of grey.

She sighed loudly, shutting her eyes, instead deciding to savour the soothing blackness rather than the miserable grey overtaking the skies above her.

"Whatcha doin'?"

Her eyes snapped back over to see an unmistakeable Son grin beaming down at her, followed by dark eyes, shielded by an unruly mop of black hair.

"Goken?"

A squeal of playful laughter only fitting to an innocent child echoed around the pair of siblings as the young boy was lifted into the air by his older sister. Bulma and Chi-Chi looked out from the living area window at the newly-acquainted family members.

Goken was always very accepting of strangers, which in some circumstances could prove to be a negative later in life, but it was a positive considering he had been without his sister for the few years of his life. His yellow tunic billowed in the wind, the longer tails at the bottom wrapping around the pale, toned arms of his sister. The calmness of the day interrupted by a little boy's high-pitched squeals and the childish giggle of a young woman, at peace, considering nothing but themselves; it was picture perfect.

Pan eventually placed Goken down on the soft grass after the loud complaint of 'I'm gonna be sicky' was thrown at her several times.

She knelt in front of her 'new' brother, and looked into identical dark eyes.

"So…" she started. "Do you wanna spar?" A cheeky grin spread across Pan's face – it was such a novelty to have a young addition to their family – she had always been the youngest, even though Bra was only just over a year older than her, you would have thought they were a generation apart.

Goken continued to stare into his sister's eyes, looking at her with an incredulous stare.

"A sp-sp-spar? I've never been allowed to do that before. Mumma and Grandma tell me it's not a good thing to do."

Pan was struck dumb. The son of Gohan and Videl – once the greatest crime-fighting martial arts duo in the land – was not allowed to train?

"Um… Goken, have you ever been allowed to fight?"

The young boy shook his head from side to side fiercely, his black bangs splaying outwards. In response, a bright grin spread across Pan's face.

"Do you want to learn?"

Before Goken could even answer, Chi-Chi came bounding out of the house in a wild rage, with Bulma jogging behind her, trying to calm the wild beast that was the unofficial head of the Son household.

"Just _what_ in Dende's name do you thinking you're doing Pan!? Goken specifically has not been training! It was bad enough with your Grandfather's constant whining, but I will _not_ have you corrupting our dear Goken!" She swept Goken off his feet and into her arms, shielding the bewildered child from Pan's line of sight.

Pan stood flabbergasted, her mouth gaping like a fish out of water, gasping for air, as Bulma put a reassuring hand on Chi-Chi's shoulder, trying to pull her away from the conflict. Instead, it had the converse effect, with the black haired woman, violently shaking Bulma's hand away and clutching Goken closer to her.

She took a threatening step closer to Pan, bringing their faces only inches apart.

"This family does not need another misguided, 'free-as-a-bird' _fighter_," she spat the word as if it were the worst in the world, "to leave their family behind and risk themselves unnecessarily. You will not take that away from us."

Chi-Chi promptly turned on her heel and walked away from Pan and Bulma, still clutching on to Goken protectively. The little boy peered over his grandmother's shoulder back at his sister, with silent tears cascading from reddened eyes.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the warring family in the garden, tired, blue eyes had observed the entire debacle. Currently, he was watching his mother put her arms around Pan, who was visibly shaken by the ordeal. A scalding from Chi-Chi was frightening in itself, but on that scale, with her fierce protectiveness of Goken in the mix, she was beyond terrifying.

Trunks' eyes wandered to Pan. She looked broken, her face taking on a ghostly pale pallor. Her eyes seemed clouded, staring vacantly over Bulma's shoulder at the point where Chi-Chi and Goken had disappeared back into the compound.

He wanted nothing more than to go down and console her, for his arms to be cradling her, ailing her grievances. After their encounter earlier, he was sure that would be the last thing she would want. His mind was spinning thoughts around as though they were in a washing machine. He just wanted the Pan from four years ago to return, the essence of a cool summer breeze running through one's fingers. Instead now he was faced with the turbulence gale that came with a cleansing storm.

That one night that they had spent together played on his mind more often than not. He would find himself waking during the night, his skin shining with the sheen of sweat, sheets tangled at his feet, eyes wide and mind screaming.

He often found himself swearing that he could still smell her scent lingering in his room, the fragrance of early morning dew. Together, their scents married together amazingly, he could still close his eyes and concentrate on their intoxicating aroma dancing around the space.

Still engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't hear Pan enter her room.

"I was looking for you… Why are you still in here?"

Trunks turned and couldn't answer… she was looking for him? Pan's eyes turned from accusatory to confused once again.

It felt like hours passed as both stared into each other's eyes, neither really knowing what to say, Trunks' confusion squaring up to Pan's forgotten reason for finding the lavender-haired Saiya-jin.

Finally, Pan spoke.

"Trunks-kun," she all but whispered, "tell me about Goken… tell me why they won't let him train? He's so weak…" She trailed off, not needing to say anything else.

Trunks couldn't think to reply to her question, but instead chose to counter with a question himself.

"You called me Trunks-kun?"

A gentle, genuine smile spread across Pan's face.

"Yes, I did… I guess I'm sorry about how I was before… I…"

"You don't need to explain Pan-chan."

She nodded in response before continuing to ask about Goken. Trunks obliged and told her about her parents concern over another warrior in the family, the story spun on to include the details about who he would spend time with, her Grandpa Goku's dismay that he preferred to help Chi-Chi bake than engage in gentle kata.

"But, he seemed excited when I asked him to spar… although he said that he wasn't allowed – there was hope there, Trunks-kun, real hope. It's in his blood – he's a Saiya-jin like I am, he _needs_ to fight."

"It's not seen that way anymore. There's no longer a threat here. We don't need anymore warriors."

Pan cut in angrily. "How can you say that?! How can you be sure that there's no longer any need to stay on guard? We never thought that we'd face anything after Baby, but look what happened! We all almost died, we almost _lost_. _Lost_, Trunks." She omitted the 'kun', during her verbal rampage.

"It's not my view Pan, you don't have to convince me."

"Regardless of that, as the family ages, is our heritage just going to be forgotten? Are the Sons going to forget how to fight?"

Trunks paused and took in her words. He had never thought of it that way, he had just accepted that Goken wasn't to fight, in the same way he realised that Bra was never going to be a warrior.

They sat side by side on her loaned bed, as they had done hours previous, but the atmosphere was nowhere near as poisonous as experienced in the morning. Silence reigned again for a few moments, as the two once again became comfortable in each others company. Out of habit she thought long forgotten; Pan rested her head on Trunks' shoulder and sighed deeply.

"We all missed you, you know." Trunks broke the comfortable atmosphere.

Pan nodded thoughtfully, her head never leaving his shoulder.

"You know _I_ missed you?"

She nodded again, still unmoving.

The one-night lovers stayed in the same position for hours, just enjoying the gentle rhythm of each other's breathing, the weight of one another supporting each other.

Trunks closed his eyes, and leant his head down to rest gently upon Pan's. If only it were so simple like this all the time.

* * *

**Sorry... I know it's been nearly a year. I'm a bad person. Hope it's enjoyed, possibly if any of you remember this?**

**I've also updated Coming of Age for anyone who's interested, but I am really rusty I think when it comes to writing, so your feedback would be greatly appreciated!**

**-listenserendipity x  
**


	11. Chapter 11

Pan writhed in pain, black turning into a rich burgundy when she tried to open her eyes. She tried to feel her way out of her seat but found her hands wouldn't move. Her legs were restricted in the same way.

_Oh my Dende… Oh my Dende, I'm paralysed!_

That first, irrational thought that spun through Pan's head was the first of many. Her vision obscured, her limbs rendered useless – the disorientation that came from such a confined state was soon replaced with a heightened sense of smell and hearing.

Blood. All she could smell was the thick, acrid odour of her own blood. The sounds of metal upon metal were the only things she could sense. After trying to clear her eyes of what she assumed to be yet more blood, hazy, blurred movements, the distinction between light and dark started to become more apparent.

She was no longer on her ship, that was for sure; there were also many more people around her than she had been used to in her chosen, anti-social confines.

She saw figures moving around her, craning their long, thin necks over her. She felt cold metal prod into her arm, then a ripping pain of a large needle probing deep into her veins. She let out an unwanted shout and flung her head to the side, trying to locate her violator.

The response she achieved was nothing more than gobbledegook, a series of throaty clicks and hums, not too dissimilar from the whirring noise ancient automobiles made.

"Who are you!?" Pan shouted. "Where am I!?"

More clicks and hums filled the air, before a deep voice pierced the commotion.

"Your bloods read Saiya-jin…."

Pan's uncertainty and bewilderment intensified. The voice spoke in her native tongue, something that had been a rare occurrence on her travels.

"Tell me, Saiya-jin… what are you doing in this part of the galaxy? As far as we were all aware, the last remaining Saiya-jin's were settled on _Earth_."

Pan refrained from answering. The voice felt familiar, yet foreign to her. She was not about to release any fine details about herself, or her family and friends.

"If that's the way in which you choose to conduct yourself, then I believe the Daiforians under my command have a unique way of extracting the information I so desire…"

An eerie silence filled the room. One could have heard a pin drop. The quiet started to make Pan exceptionally nervous. Beads of sweat started to pool on her brow, slowly sliding down the side of her face, painting a nude trail in the rouge patterns starting to crust and form on her cheeks.

The atmosphere was dissonantly calm, unnerving in fact. Until the peace was shattered by the piercing scream of a just twenty-year old girl.

The long, spiny fingers of a Daiforian plunged deep into her stomach, clawing deep and scratching like the sharp needle of a spinning wheel. She could feel every movement, going deeper and deeper into her skin, scratching away at the toned muscle of her torso.

Another earsplitting scream resonated throughout the metal chamber through the heart-wrenching sobs of the young Saiya-jin explorer. She had never felt suffering like it. It felt as though her heart and soul were been forcefully ripped from her very being. It felt as though she was losing the battle against her independence, against her dreams and ambitions.

Her thoughts strayed to her family, how she had not been in contact with them for just over two years. How she would never see her parents again, never see Bulma and Bra again; never see her Grandma and Grandpa Goku again; never see Trunks again.

The tears started to flow down her cheeks with more vigour, the steady stream turning into a fast flowing river. Her body started numb, her skin turning a deathly grey from the lack of blood, goosebumps dotted her skin from her collarbones to the tips of her toes. Pan closed her eyes, and took what she believed to be her last, stunted breath. She was starting to give up…

"Stop this!"

The deep voice from before reverberated around the chamber and Pan felt the clawing sensation subside, and a blast of cool, clean air hit her tender, throbbing wound.

"Let the girl free and patch that wound. I wish to speak with her alone."

Pan heard the owner of the deep voice take several steps away from where she was strapped, possibly heading towards an exit.

"Why do you wish to speak with me after this?" She shouted after her native-speaking captor.

The footsteps stopped.

"We need to discuss the abnormal mix in your blood, quarter breed Saiya-jin…"

* * *

"Pan? Pan-chan? Hey!"

Pan came to, being shaken forcefully by the shoulders by Trunks. She refocused and looked around, taking in her current surroundings. Everything was as it should have been. Her room at Capsule Corp., was untouched, and as normal as could be possible considering everything.

For what seemed like the millionth time since her return only thirty-six hours prior, she stared into cerulean eyes, and lost herself again.

_Shaped just like his…_

She shook herself mentally, ridding herself of thoughts she'd rather not have.

"Sorry Trunks-kun," Pan shone a half-hearted attempt at a dazzling smile. "I just had a little daydream."

"Daydream, Panny? It's two thirty in the morning."

Pan's mouth shaped into a perfect 'O' at this unbelievable revelation.

"Oh… sorry, my bad…" She trailed off, not knowing what else to say, as she'd rather not divulge any information about anything that she'd been thinking of previously.

"Pan, I'm really worried about you… you seem detached from everything… well, not like that's not normal, but…"

"What do you mean, Trunks?" Pan's demeanour changed in an instant, from one that he was comfortable with to something completely the opposite. Her eyes had darkened, and she screamed contention.

"I mean that you were pretty distant from us before you even left, it's like you're an entirely different person now. Hell, Panny, I don't even felt like I know you in the slightest anymore."

Pan crossed her arms, inadvertently drawing more attention to her chest. She continued to stare Trunks out.

"Isn't it apparent that I'm _not_ the same person anymore? You, however…" She nodded her head, drawing Trunks' attention away from her chest and back up to her eyes. "Seem to be as vulgar as ever."

"I was never vulgar!" Exclaimed Trunks, shocked at her accusation, but also at himself – he had no idea that he was staring so intently… especially at something like that!

Pan's voice dropped to a whisper. "I thought _you_ had changed, Trunks-kun."

Inwardly, Trunks smiled to himself. Not everything had changed. His and Pan's relationship thrived on the occasional argument, and this time was no exceptional. They'd bicker and then fight, then Pan would buckle, and change the subject in a quiet voice.

"Pan-chan, I have changed… we all have. A lot happens in four years, especially when someone so important vanishes without a trace… We missed you so much."

Pan was silent, again starting to feel guilty about her adventures.

"But it's OK, you're back now, right? You're not going anywhere in a hurry?"

Pan shook her head.

"Because I couldn't bear it if you were gone again…"

Trunks moved closer to Pan, brushing her cheek with his index finger and then cupping her face, tilting her face upwards.

"I'm so glad you're back…"

His lips brushed against her cheek, before slowing moving downwards to lip the corner of her mouth. Pan emitted a gasp unwillingly, giving Trunks access to her mouth. Their lips met in a fiery clash of anger, relief and passion, their tongues dancing together as they had done that one, solitary night they had shared together. Pan's arms wound their way around Trunks neck, her fingers tangled in the long strands of purple hair at the nape of his neck. He pulled her closer in response, crushing her against him with more force than was necessary, causing them to stumble backwards and fall on to her bed.

Their fingers danced, their minds raced, their skin burned. Energy spiked around the couple, creating intricate patterns in the shadows of the room. Lavender locks tangled with midnight black, gasps and moans echoed about the walls.

Pan pulled away from the ardent embrace and looked down at Trunks, opening her mouth to speak. He placed a finger over her lips and hushed her gently.

"There's no need for words…"

* * *

**Right, now I definitely need your input – whether to make this a more mature story or not… if you get me.**

**This is rated 'T' at present, and I'm willing to put the rating up if reader want that.**

**So please, drop me a review and the story will continue accordingly.**

**Many thanks, **

**-listenserendipity**


	12. Chapter 12

**I actually updated. I'm sure you can't believe it either. Excuse the change of pen-name, but I felt it was necessary – a lot has changed in the space of a year (or more).**

**If anyone's still following this, then I look forward to hearing from you.**

**-Minabelle (listenserendipity)**

It is common knowledge that fire cannot thrive without air, and similarly, the earth cannot grow without the air's abundance of nitrogen and oxygen ensuring the lush greenery remains just that.

"_There's no need for words..."_

Fire licks and bursts with energy upon contact with air, trying to drink in every last drop it can. Air wraps itself around the dancing flame, feeding it with cooling influence, all the while knowing inwardly that it is the catalyst for the explosion that both know will come.

Tentative touches and gentle caresses soon turned into something more mature, dare we say, more sinister? Trunks couldn't believe this was happening again, couldn't believe that once again, the embodiment of air, Son Pan was submitting to his advances and actually seemed to relish them. He stopped his mission to bring her to heights of pleasure that one couldn't dream of finding throughout the universe to look down at the girl pinned beneath his strong, Saiya-jin physique.

Her hair was splayed about her, the inches of thick, midnight ribbons teasing his hands with a softness that could only be attained through a Human and Saiya-jin hybrid. Her dark eyes were gently closed, her long lashes fluttering every so often as she tried to regulate her breathing through cherry red lips. Her cheeks were flushed, the healing wound below her eyebrow actually adding to her beauty, her character.

Pan opened her eyes to look quizzically at the Saiya-jin above her, but before any coherent thought could be formed, he leant back down, once again assaulting her lips with his own. His hands removed themselves from the tangled mess of her hair to cup themselves behind her back, intricately tracing patterns along the curve of her spine. Her back arched at the warmth emitted from his fingertips; the tingle of electricity working its way through every nerve, from the base of her skull down to the tips of her toes.

She felt the straps of her tank working their way down her arms, the cool breeze floating through the window making her shudder involuntarily, the tiny hairs on her arms standing on end, her nipples hardening instinctively from the fresh chill.

A murmur echoed throughout the room, a low rumble of appreciation coming from the Prince above her. Trunks was drinking it all in, both visually and mentally. He was under no illusions that this may be the last chance he ever would get to prove to the travelling girl beneath him that in fact, she could not continue without his touch, his presence... Perhaps more...? His mind was racing in the same way in which his breathing had deepened. Longer, louder, harder. Each breath he took brought him more of the fresh scent of warm rain, coupled with the young wind whipping about them from the open window.

A pile of cloth built up beside the bed, until both we entwined in the most natural way possible. Hands explored, grabbing, pulling, squeezing. A cacophony of moans, breathy groans and yelps of pleasure echoed around the four walls. Both were entranced with the other, neither quite believing the drastic change in both over what was in the grand tapestry of life, a very short time. More womanly, more manly... although Trunks couldn't help but hold in a gasp at the numerous scars littering Pan's body. Pushing thoughts he'd rather not have to the side, he broke away from her swollen, rouge lips and lowered his head to her chest, littering the heaving mounds with feather light kisses at first, before nipping, sucking and moaning his pleasure so that it rumbled through her chest.

Pan's hips bucked, striving to obtain the closeness she so desired from Trunks, her hands reaching around and wrapping themselves in the violet strands of hair framing his chiselled jaw line. Her ki flared around her, sparkling and snapping with royal blue energy, illuminating the room and casting shadows detailing the exotic dance she was partaking in. The energy smacking against Trunks was almost too much for him to bear. He growled, showing his teeth, pressing his face into the cavity between her breasts, struggling to maintain his composure. If she were able to look him in the eye, flickers of teal green would be evident, his aura starting to swirl around them both. He couldn't lose control now...

A feral noise spilled from his mouth, emitting a gasp from the dark haired girl, as she found herself flipped over with the type of force only their heritage would allow. She was dragged on to all four and squealed as she felt herself filled. Trunks stopped, trying fruitlessly to regain his composure, as the two one-time lovers found themselves bound into one once more.

Some say that fire has a unique dance, a rhythm like no other, an intensity that can only burn out of its own accord.

Some say that air is the perfect catalyst, ensuring that a flame is fed and would never burn out.

If one was to be watching from the gardens below, the burst of blue and yellow, combining to cast a royal green shadow oozing from the room, the light show would be nothing more than a beauteous spectacle, not too dissimilar to a firework display. A spectacle to which one could 'ooh' and 'aah', whilst wondering how it is possible for something so wondrous to grace their sight.

However, like fireworks, for some, the light show burned out far too soon.

Pan felt her body tingle, then tremble as her legs gave way beneath her and the guttural raw of a satisfied Saiya-jin male filled her ears. She crashed down on to the mattress, feeling the man above her follow suit, his head coming to rest between her shoulder blades. From the corner of her eye she spied not a smooth strand of violet hair, but instead the coarse radiance of the golden locks of a Super Saiya-jin. A thin layer of sweat coated both their bodies, glistening again the soft yellow glow emitted from Trunks. His breathing was deep, satisfied... even feral. She felt his arms wind their way around her stomach, pulling her closer (if it were even possible) to his form.

She waited patiently, sure of the onslaught of post-coital conversation that she expected from Trunks, but instead was met with slowed breathing and the gentle purring rumbling from his chest as sleep claimed him, yellow fading into purple and the grip around her middle relaxing. A sigh of relief wound its way from between her lips as she moved him cautiously in order to slip out of the bed and tiptoe over to the bathroom to freshen up and sit in cool, silent contemplation for a while.

Was this what she wanted to happen? After the event had taken place, she wasn't so sure. When the cool air of night turned into the warmth of morning and when luminous orange pierces the navy canopy, she was certain that whatever mindset possessed her to act in such a manner not too long ago would dissipate along with the stars at dawn.


End file.
